Why is my face puffy in the morning?

If your puffy face isn’t the result of a medical issue, your lifestyle may be to blame.

There’s not much worse than waking up in the morning looking like a puffer fish, especially if you have an important work meeting or a special day ahead. First, there are a few medical conditions that can cause facial swelling such as hypertension, kidney disease, allergic reaction, trauma, dental problems or even conjunctivitis (pink eye). If there’s any question facial puffiness may be a medical issue or you have other symptoms, check in with your doctor right away. When you’re sure it’s not something medical, and it only happens occasionally, it’s most likely attributable to telltale lifestyle factors from not drinking enough water to imbibing too much alcohol, or the occasional lack of sleep. Here’s why facial puffiness occurs in the morning and what you can do about it.

While it’s no surprise that after a night of drinking you look puffy in the morning, you may be surprised that a host of other issues can also cause facial puffiness. Sometimes just the pressure of pillow up against face can cause fluid buildup. What’s more, allergies or watching a tearjerker the night before can also wreak havoc, as will a super salty meal. Hormonal fluctuations can cause facial puffiness, too (blame pregnancy, menopause or your monthly cycle here). And as we mentioned, knocking back a few margaritas (alcohol plus salt), and not drinking enough water, can be killer for facial flame ups. I once got puffy the night after a wine tasting — either the sheer amount of wine I sampled, or a particular varietal of red wine was the culprit (the nitrates in reds can be particularly Stay Puft-inducing). Plus, a bad night’s of sleep or even stress, such as a bout of nighttime anxiety, can lead to morning inflammation. Once you figure out the likely offender, you can take steps to avoid it.